Finger board



J. o. BENNETT July 1 1947.

FINGER BOARD 2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed Feb. 28, 1945 July 1, 1947. J.O.IBENNETT 2,423,169

FINGER BOARD Filed Feb. 28, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet' 2 Patented July 1, 1947UNITED STATES "PATENT orricsy j Joseph 0. Bennett, Mount Vernon, Ill.Application February 28, 1945, Serial No. 580,195

r Claims. (Cl. 214-1) This invention relates to finger boards.

An object of the invention is the provision of a finger board for oilwells for supporting a plurality of pipes which may have been removedfrom the Well or which are being applied to the string of pipes in awell, said finger board being movable toward or away from a platform sothe operator may conveniently suspend the pipe sec tions in a convenientposition for application to or removal from a string of pipes.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a finger board whichmay be positively shifted toward or away from the operator for fillingthe finger board with pipes removed from a well with the movement of thefinger board positioning the pipes more conveniently for the operator,said finger board being so arranged that it may be I shifted manually orby a power operated device.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a finger boardwhich may be shifted longitudinally in either direction for placing thepipe supporting fingers in a convenient position for the operator, aplatform being associated with the finger board for the support of theoperator when placing the pipes in position on the board.

This invention will be best understood from a consideration of thefollowing-detailed description, in view of the accompanying drawingsforming a part of the specification; nevertheless, it is to beunderstood that the invention is not confined to the disclosure, beingsusceptible of such changes and modifications as define no materialdeparture from the salient features of the invention as expressed in theappended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of a finger boardconstructed according to the principles of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section taken along the line 33 of Fig.1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged horizontal section showing the guidingmeans for the finger board and its connection with a transverse bar.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view with parts broken away showing in elevationthe finger board and the shifting means for said board.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a vertical 1-'! of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged plan View of a movable platform for the operatorof the finger board.

Fig. 9 is a side view of the platform showing parts in section.

section taken along the line .insupported relation between thefinger-board.- The platform is held in position Referring moreparticularly to the drawings, l0 and II designate a pair of uprightsforming part of a derrick structure for supporting a finger board abovea drilling well. The supporting structure may consist of four posts,such as In and l I, located in spaced relation'and formed of angle ironconstruction. These posts are braced and held together by horizontalbars l2 and I3. The structure is erected over the well and besides theuprights I0 and l I and the brace bars l2 and l3, other bars may beemployed for bracing the structure to maintain the weight impressed uponit A platform generally designated by the ,nu-. meral I5 is formed of aplurality of planks'lli which are connected together by straps IT. Theplatform is of sufiicient length so that it will rest upon a pair ofcross braces I 2 at the-proper heightwith its inner'edge at one side ofthe vertical center line of the'derrick so that the operator may standon the platform for properly positioning joints of well casings, welltubing or drill stems generally to be classifiedas pipes-when they aredelivered tohim by elevators on theusual hoisting cables. Thereaftersaid pipes are placed fingers l8 of a on the bars I! by means of bolts20 (Fig. 9) which have their" upper ends threaded and inserted through apassage 2| in one-of the planks I6. A nut 22 threaded ontothe upper endof the bolt will draw a U-shaped' portion 23 of the :bolt against thebottom edge of the angle iron or cross brace [2. After the platformis'in position and at the proper height the nuts 22 are screwed up tightfor securing the platform against movement. l i

One of the planks I6 is provided with an opening 25 which receives aneye 26. This eye is adapted to receive a'hook connected with a chain or"cable so that the platform I5 may be raised or lowered.

A chain generally designated by the numeral 21 has one end received byan eye28 at the lower end of a bolt 29 which has a head 30 resting onthe outer face of one of the planks. I 6. The other platform, preferablyabove it, at one end is the finger board comprising a frame whichcarries a series of spaced fingers and mechanism for moving them wherebythe intervening spaces between adjacent fingers may be successivelypresented in alinement with the edge of the platform. The latter servesto guide a selected number of stands of pipe into each space. The framealso carries at one of its ends means for moving thecarrier on whichsaid fingers are mounted and at its other end the intermittentlyoperated drivin devices by means of which the guide is actuatedstep-by-step. The frame comprises a tubular guide bar 35 connected toplates 35 which are in turn attached to the respective bars l3 adjacentone end of the supporting structure. The tubular member 35 is providedwith a pair of diametrically disposed longitudinal slots 3'| throughwhich extend the pipe rack fingers [8 after pass ing through theperforations 38 in a bar or tub'iilai member" 39 slidab'ly mounted inthe tubular member 35; Nuts 40 are secured to the outer f the fingers atone side of the tubular member 35 for maintaining the fingers inpositron.- The longer portions of thefingers extend through the slot andsections of the pipe are adaptedto be placed between the fingers andsuported reparatory to stringing: the pipe in the well or after thesections have been detached from the string remaining suspended theWell.

Posts are secured to the'guide or track 35 and extend upwardly. The freeends of these posts are provided with bearings 42 to receive a shaft NJ7 Ring gear li is secured to shaft -43 while a pinion 45 is end oftheshaft. I

g aritirheshesiwith the gear 45 and has a centrally disposed threadedpassage received by atiirfeaded end 4! of a rod or shaft 48 vvhich is1ct in the member '35 and has its inner end s red "to the member 39;

As shown more particularly in Fig. 5, the ear It is provided with ahub50 having an annular groove 51 which is received by the lugs 52 on theouter nds or the arms or fingers 53' which are fire at to the outer endof the guide or ti 35. A thrust-tearing 551s located on the rod It inconnection with the hub so. By this construc'tioh the gear 46 may berevolved in substantially a vertical "plane by the gear '45 but will bemaintained against lateral displacement. Rotathan of the gear 46 willcause the rod 48 to be drawn in a direction depending upon the directionof rotation of the gear 46 for" shifting the member is toward or awayfrom the platform. Fingers l8 will be shifted toward or away from theplatform l as desired. I

A motor 60 is secured to the guide 35 at one side f the ear 44 fordriving a shaft 61 and a gear 62 secured to the said shaft.- The gear 62meshes with the ring gear 44 for not onlyrotatthe ring gear, but theshaft '43 and likewise the gears 35 and 45. 7

Finger boards are normally held in a definite position ad ac nt a weiiso that it is necessary for the operator when removin sect-ions of pipefrom t, weii or app-lying the sections to the string in a weli tcmovebakand forth alongthe finger board for piecing the sections-or the pipebetween the fingers I8.

in the present construction the finger board is moved toward or awayfrom the platform l5 so that the spaces between adjacent fingers can beplaced in position with reference to the edge the inner end or thesecured to the other of the platform to allow the sections of the pipewhen removed to be readily guided into said spaces of the finger board.

When it is desired to shift the finger board the motor 59 is set inoperation so that the gear 62 Will revolve the ring gear 44. Since thering gear is connected to the shaft 43 the gear 4'5 will rotate the gear46.

In view of the fact that the outer end of the rod 48 is threaded into acentral opening in the gear 46 said gear would tend to thrive toward oraway from the motor 681, depending upon the direction of rotation ofsaid motor which is of the reverse type. However, the gear 35 isconnected to the outer end of the guide or track 35 by means of anannular groove H, the arms 53, and the lugs 52 disposed in the groove 5|in the hub 5% connected to the gear it. Thus, the gear 555 may berevolved but will be maintained in position so that the threaded portion61 of the rod 48 will cause the rod to be moved longitudinally in eitherdirection in the guide 35, thereby moving themember 39 and likewise theconnected fingers 68. Thus, it will be seen that the finger board willbe conveniently positioned with respect to the platform [5 for theconvenience of the operator.

The platform [5 is removably connected to the supporting structure bymeans of bolts 20 byv tightening the nut 22.- When the nuts are loosenedthe hooked portions 23 of the bolts 20 may l e released from the barsl2, whereby the platform may be raised or lowered as desired.

For the purpose of raising or lowering the platform an eye 26 isprovided which normally is housed within the opening or depression 25 ofthe platform. A hook on the chain of a hoist is adapted to be receivedby the eye 26 for drawing the platform 15 upwardly or for lowering theplatform to the proper horizontal level.

It will be noted from Fig. 8 that the eye 26 normally rests in thepocket 25 below the upper surface of the platform so that there will beno danger of the operator being tripped by the same.

' I claim;

1. A device of the class described comprising spaced supports, a tubularmember carried at its ends by the supports and provided with a.longitudinal slot, a slidable means in the tubular member, spacedfingers secured to the slidable means and projecting through the slotand means for moving the slidable means and fingers in the tubularmeans, said spaced fingers being adapted to support stands of pipes.

2. A device of the class described comprising spaced supports, a tubularmember carried at its ends by the supports and provided with alongitudinal slot, a slidable means in the tubular member, spacedfingers secured to the slidable means and projecting through the slot, ashaft connected to the slidable means and having a thread- 'ed portion,a nut on the threaded portion, and means for rotating the nut forcausing the shaft and slidable means to be moved in either direction inthe tubular means for shifting the fingers as a unit back and forth.

3. A device of the class described comprising spaced supports, a tubularmember carried at its ends by the supports and provided with alongitudinal slot, a slidable means in the tubular member, spacedfingers secured to the slidable means and projecting through the slot, ashaft connected at one end to the slidable means, the other end beingthreaded, a gear having a threaded central opening receiving thethreaded end of the shaft, means retaining the gear against lateralmovement, and means rotating the gear to cause reciprocation of theshaft and sliding of the connected fingers.

4. A device of the class described comprising spaced supports, a tubularmember carried at its ends by the supports and provided with alongitudinal slot, a slidable means in the tubular member, spacedfingers secured to the slidable means and projecting through the slot,and means for moving the slidable means and attached fingers towards oraway from the platform and including a rotatable means, a rod connectedat one end with the slidable means, the other end of the rod beingthreaded into a passage in the rotatable means, means supporting therotatable means against lateral displacement on an end of the tubularmember, and means rotating the rotatable means for causing longitudinalshifting of the slidable means in the tubular member.

5. The combination with a well derrick, comprising cross pieces and aworkers platform supported thereon at one side of the derrick, of afinger board comprising a series of spaced fingers forming a pipe rackextending across the platform and means for moving the boardtransversely of the platform to successively expose the spaces betweenadjacent fingers outwardly from the edge of the platform for thereception of stands of pipe lengths placed in contact with the edge ofsaid board.

6. The combination with a well derrick having cross pieces and a workersplatform supported horizontally thereon having an inner edge cated atone side of the vertical center line of the derrick for supportingvertical stands of pipe placed against it, of a finger board extendingtransversely above one end of said platform and comprising spacedfingers, and means for intermittently moving the board to successivelyaline the spaces between its adjacent fingers with said inner edge ofthe platform.

'7. A finger board for stacking pipe lengths in well derricks comprisinga frame extending across the derrick and adapted to be supported in ahorizontal position thereon forming a guideway and having at one end agear with a threaded hub, bearings on the frame, a shaft carried thereincarrying a pinion meshing with said gear, means for rotating the shaftlocated at the opposite end of said frame, a slide carried in theguideway of the frame, a threaded shaft extending from the slide intothe hub of the gear and spaced rack fingers extending laterally fromsaid slide.

JOSEPH O. BENNETT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

